What I Have Learned About the Churches and Public Policy Bishop

social policy connections 34 Bedford St (PO Box 505) Box Hill Victoria 3128 | 03 9890 1077 | 0425 778 395 [email protected] | www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au Forum APRIL 2013 What I have learned about the churches and public policy Bishop Pat Power Bishop Emeritus Canberra-Goulburn Addressing a forum of Social Policy Connections, Box Hill, 17 April 2013 Growing up in Queanbeyan, adjacent to Canberra, I never took exception to its nickname, ‘Struggletown’. My father politely pointed out that Queanbeyan was the mother of Canberra, and it was simply a case of the child outgrowing the parent. In my boyhood in the post-World War II days, Queanbeyan welcomed many refugees from war-torn Europe, and my parents were great examples to me of caring for the battlers. Dad was a Justice of the Peace, and not only did he witness the signatures of the ‘New Australians’ on their documents, but he also helped them to navigate their way through potentially difficult waters. He adopted a similar role as a member of the St Vincent de Paul Society and in community activities. My mother welcomed all comers into our home and showed them unconditional love. To stand up for the poor, even as a child, was second nature to me, and one of the motivations which led me to consider becoming a priest. From my early days in the priesthood, I had some great role models in promoting justice and respect for the people I was privileged to serve. In many ways, it was the struggling people themselves who gave me some of the best lessons in life. The members of the Young Christian Workers taught me in new ways what it meant to stand up for the rights of vulnerable people. Their apostolate of ‘like to like’ enabled their members to take control of their lives, empowering themselves and their young colleagues. When I became a bishop in 1986, I gravitated towards the movements and bodies which aspired to make our Church and world more in tune with the values of Jesus. In my 27 years as an ‘active’ bishop, I served on bishops’ committees and commissions which promoted the dignity of lay people and family life, social justice and social welfare, ecumenism, and relationships with the media. Almost a year into retirement, I have had plenty of opportunities to pursue my dreams in those areas without the burden of meetings. Tonight, I have been asked to speak on What I have learned about the Churches & Public Policy. I will draw on some of my experiences as a bishop in areas I have 1 / 6 What I have learned about the churches & public policy Bishop Pat Power just alluded to. I do not in any way suggest that this is an exhaustive list, nor even the most important policy issues. They are simply the ones with which I am most familiar. My ecumenical heart has given me insight into the mission of the other Churches living out the Gospel imperative to bring good news to every creature. The National Council of Churches in Australia, the Anglican Church, the Uniting Church, the Baptist Church, the Salvation Army, and indeed all the Churches have greatly influenced public policy in the life of Australia. I have not attempted to highlight their achievements, simply because I do not consider myself able to do them justice. But I am keenly aware that the more closely the Churches are able to collaborate in the area of social action, the more credible will be their voice. Aboriginal reconciliation The national apology given by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on 13 February 2008 to Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples was one of the most moving experiences in my life. It was even more satisfying in that it followed an era in which the previous Prime Minister could not bring himself to say sorry, and it took on further significance when it was endorsed by the whole national Parliament across the political spectrum. The emotional scenes of joy among the indigenous people who had waited so long to hear those words were embraced right throughout the Australian population. Credit should be given to those people and organisations who for many years had fought for recognition and justice for Australia’s first peoples. I think of Catholic activists such as ‘Mum Shirl’ (Shirley Smith), Vicki Walker, Elsie Heiss, Pat and Mick Dodson, Graeme Mundine, Jesuit Fr Frank Brennan and Bishops Ted Collins, Christopher Saunders, and Eugene Hurley, to name just a few. I recall Mum Shirl giving some straight talk to the Australian bishops and having a strong ally in Fr Ted Kennedy in Redfern. Elsie Heiss and Vicki Walker may have taken a slightly more ‘softly softly’ approach, but they have been extremely effective in their respective states and nationally in raising the level of consciousness within the Catholic Church and beyond of the Redfern listens by Sidkid, Flickr cc moral and justice issues involved. I remember listening with pride as Elsie Heiss addressed the Oceania Synod of Bishops in Rome in 1998 in the presence of Pope John Paul II and over 100 bishops and cardinals. Pat and Mick Dodson, Graeme Mundine, and Frank Brennan have called on Catholic Social Teaching and fundamental principles of justice to articulate very effectively the cause of Aboriginal Australians. The bishops I mentioned and others have helped the members of their flocks to achieve a change of heart. Pope John Paul’s Australian visit in 1986, especially his talk in Alice Springs, gave great heart to the indigenous people and a clearer understanding to non-indigenous Australians. I am told that many Aboriginal people learnt that speech by heart as it so embraced their rich and unique culture. Popular movements such as the Sea of Hands launched in Canberra on 12 October 1997 and the Bridge Walks for reconciliation in May 2000, as well as parish and ecumenical groups across the country helped break down a lot of prejudice and ignorance, and enabled our political leaders to understand the imperative for justice and reform. 2 / 6 What I have learned about the churches & public policy Bishop Pat Power Yet we all know that there is a long way to go in ‘closing the gap’ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The Australian Catholic Social Justice statement for 2012-13 puts it graphically: “It is a source of national shame that over the past decade the number of Indigenous people incarcerated has increased for women by 59% and for men by 35%. Indigenous juveniles are detained at 23 times the rate of non- Indigenous juveniles. Indigenous parents die younger than non-Indigenous people: on average men by 11.5 years and women by 10 years.” The statement goes on to speak of a much higher proportion of infant deaths and of homelessness among Indigenous people than non-Indigenous. It questions the Northern Territory intervention, and suggests other options. “There are much better ways to empower Indigenous families and ensure that they have the support and services most Australians take for granted. Australia has a duty to provide justice for Indigenous Australians by creating jobs, safe environments for children, and access to education and health facilities. This must be based on true consultation and partnership, respect for traditional culture and identity, and a thorough understanding of the particular needs of each community.” Refugees & asylum seekers It is a source of national shame to have both major political parties vying to outdo each other in harsh measures and rhetoric towards ‘boat people’. Emotive terms such as ‘border protection’, ‘people smugglers’, and ‘queue-jumping’ have the effect of creating fear in the community and diminishing the compassion due to a desperate group of our fellow human beings. People forget the success of post-World War II and Vietnamese refugee programs whereby desperate newcomers went on to make outstanding contributions to Australian life and to enrich our country as a multi-cultural nation. Bodies such as the Australian Catholic Migrant & Refugee Office and the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council are continually lobbying and making representation on behalf of today’s refugees who are among the most vulnerable of people. The ACSJC has publicly restated the concerns of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees concerning conditions on Christmas Island, Nauru, and Manus Island. It raises the question as to the humanity of offshore detention and claims processing. The Australian Catholic Migrant & Refugee Office, accepting the determination of the Australian Government to involve other countries, has written a paper Voluntary and Compelled Migration in the Asia Pacific. Recognising the complexity of the whole issue, it writes: “For the Catholic Church, regional cooperation on migration is of paramount importance. The Catholic Church aims to provide pastoral care to all people, regardless of their legal status, as they move through different nations. Regional cooperation on this issue is therefore fundamental in facilitating the effective assistance of the Catholic Church and other organisations.” I vividly remember that, when refugees began to arrive in the 1970s and 1980s, many parishes had wonderful schemes to welcome, accommodate, and guide the newly arrived, helping them to settle into their new environment. Am I naїve in thinking such initiatives adopted by parishes across Australia today would be more effective and humane than our current harsh strategies? Catholic Welfare / Catholic Social Services For almost all my 27 years as a bishop, I was involved in the Church’s social apostolate at the national level. I actually came into it through Natural Family Planning, but that is another story. I am privileged to be part of a tradition which involved some great pioneering women and people like Monsignor McCosker, Bishop Eric Perkins, John Usher, David Cappo, Toby O’Connor, Frank Quinlan, Joe Caddy, and the current National Director Paul O’Callaghan.

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